MIAMI, Fla. –A man vacationing in Florida was shocked to find hidden cameras inside his Airbnb rental, and now police are investigating.
It was not the way Max Vest wanted to start his trip in Miami.
“It’s an uncomfortable feeling to know that I was being watched in the bedroom,” he said.
The Gainesville resident says he booked a room for the week through Airbnb. He checked into the apartment Sunday and before he went to bed, he noticed black boxes plugged into the wall.
“I was’t sure what they were,” he said. “So I unplugged them and looked them up and found out they were hidden cameras.”
Vest quickly packed up and left with the memory cards in hand and took them to the Miami Police Department.
Investigators say Vest is not in any of the recordings on the card, but they say other people are — and they are now trying to identify them.
Officers add it is illegal for anyone to record someone where there is an expectation of privacy, like in a bedroom.
“The cameras were facing the bed,” Vest said. “So I’m sure he was seeing footage of anybody changing clothes, when they came out of the shower, or sleeping, or anything else you’d do in a bed.”
In a statement, Airbnb says, “Our community’s privacy and safety is our priority. We are working to fully support Mr. Vest, including a refund for the reservation. We require hosts to clearly disclose any security cameras in writing on their listings, and we have strict standards governing surveillance devices in listings. This host has been removed from our community.”
